I remember the science teachers doing electrolysis of water and collecting the Hydrogen under a metal container. Then they would take the container and put it on the edge of the lab bench with the mouth down (obviously) and hold an alcohol burner that was taped to a yard stick under it. There were a lot of small dents in the ceiling above that bench.

They also had a gun that shot electrostatic charges. We would have one person sit on a metal stool and then a line of people would put a hand on each others shoulder, forming a chain. The teacher would hit the gun into the person furthest from the person in the chair. All would be fine, just a little tingle, until one wise **** would lift their hand off the shoulder of the person next to them. Then everyone would get a nice shock, especially the poor sucker on the metal framed stool!

Those days are long gone. By the 90's they had stopped all of those sorts of things, due to parent complaints.

I did a electronics course in 1980 and taht was very different to the usual Uni courses.
We did theory in the morning and did the parctical in the afternoons.
We built amplifiers that we tested with a record player to ensure our amplifiers worked.
Its amazing how the practical side made things more real.
There is too much sat in front of a blackboard teaching.